August 21, 2002: Ground is broken for 300 houses

Work is part of revitalization in Park DuValle

Aug. 13, 2009

Written by

The Courier-Journal

With the flick of six golden shovels and remarks from the U.S. secretary of housing and urban development, the construction of 300 new houses in the Park DuValle revitalization project began yesterday.

Mel Martinez, the HUD secretary, joined local and state dignitaries in praising the effort that has transformed a crime-ridden public-housing project into what U.S. Rep. Anne Northup called "a national model" and Mayor Dave Armstrong referred to as "a place of pride."

The homes are providing residents with "an opportunity for affordable housing and homeownership in an environment that's clean and safe to raise your families and build your careers," Armstrong said. "People now just won't dream about the American dream. They're going to experience it firsthand."

The 300 homes are part of the third phase of the $200 million revitalization project, a massive effort between the public and private sector that began with the demolition of the former Cotter and Lang public-housing complexes in western Louisville in 1996.

The $48.5 million third phase, which also includes apartments and commercial space in the Park DuValle Town Centre off Wilson Avenue, "is the last phase of homeownership," said Tim Barry, director of the Housing Authority of Louisville.

The overall effort is partially funded by a $20 million grant from HUD's Hope VI program, which pays for the demolition of distressed public housing.

Manfred G. Reid Sr., chairman of the board of commissioners of the Housing Authority, spoke most plainly about the impact of the project when he said the site "was deplorable 20 years ago. It's inconceivable in our minds that this (transformation) could have happened. But we see it here, and what we bring to our residents is the hope that it can happen at the rest of our sites."

The Housing Authority is planning to reapply for a Hope VI grant to revamp the Clarksdale public-housing complex near downtown, Barry said. The government rejected a previous application from the agency for that project.

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Barry said one of the main things HUD looks for in an application is the ability to "hit the ground running" with a redevelopment project.

"We can do that, and Park DuValle is evidence of that," Barry said in an interview.

Martinez said it takes federal and local governments and community groups working in partnership to make such projects happen, and he spoke hopefully about Louisville's chances of receiving another Hope VI grant.

"We're working very, very hard to try to bring other opportunities here," he said.

"You've done it well, so it gives us the kind of encouragement that we need in order to see more of this kind of opportunity come to pass."

Martinez also emphasized how important it is to the administration of President Bush to increase homeownership opportunities, especially among minorities.

"Not enough people in our minority communities have tasted the fruit of homeownership," he said.

THAT MEANS they haven't been able to enjoy such benefits as being able to use equity from a home to borrow money to finance a business or a college education or to pass their property along to future generations, Martinez said.

The number of houses in the third phase of Park DuValle has grown to include some homes that originally were to be part of a later phase of the project, Barry said.

Up until now, the third phase of the project in the predominantly AfricanAmerican neighborhood has been dominated by rental development, including an apartment building for families and one for senior citizens, both of which were dedicated last month. Now the houses for that phase are getting under way with prices ranging from $88,000 to $200,000.

LOVELL STALLWORTH, 58, is expected to be the first homeowner in the third phase.

Stallworth said he was attracted to the neighborhood because "it's a totally different place" from what it used to be. "It's a real nice neighborhood. You can't beat it." He also likes the quality of the new homes, he said.

Ron Yancey, Stallworth's homebuilder, said he lived in Cotter Homes when he was a teen-ager and said he's glad to be part of helping to jump-start the area.

"I'm so happy," Yancey said. "We had good people in here then and we're putting good people in here now, and that just makes me happy."